Spouses and creatives Anita (57) and Mario Galić (61) swapped the city rhythm of Split for the peace offered by their house on Šolta ten years ago. There, in their studio among olives and pines, their fashion stories are born—quietly, authentically, in harmony with the island that inspires them. Right next to the studio is a one-hundred-square-meter house, once an oasis for summer escapes with their children, and today, their home.
"We tried to make sure everyone had their own space and freedom in it, that it was comfortable and practical for all," says Anita, adding that they paid special attention to the kitchen, which is the heart of the home. Otherwise, they spend most of their time outside, under the grapevine, while their living room is reserved for rainy days.
Šolta is their base, but also the stage for marking important moments—like the Retrospective exhibition, with which they celebrated 30 years of working together last summer. And although they still occasionally go to Split, whether for work, family, or cultural events, there are more and more reasons to stay on the island, especially in summer when the Šolta Cultural Summer comes alive with theater performances and concerts they never miss.
In everything they have created over the years, Šolta has played an important role, and a few years ago they moved their studio here as well. The sea, nature, and the island‘s silence have always inspired them. Their creations were made together: Anita would sketch the dresses, Mario would take the scissors, and the process would begin. While their son Sebastian (31) and daughter Gala Mari (22) were little, they would create all night. Gala grew up among dresses and is often their model today; for this shoot, she wore their ethno model made of white lace. Sebastian wasn‘t as interested in fashion, but he was happy to help—he would lend his toy horses for a hat that won Anita the title of Lady of the Hippodrome in Zagreb. For years, she says, she opened the Velesajam with her husband and performed at the Model Balls—thanks to Mrs. Regina Jaeger and her agency Umah.
Both Anita and Mario are passionate Aries, and so began their love story, back in 1992, when a chance encounter in Trogir was fateful, as after only two and a half months they were already married.
"Mario was then working in the Revenue Administration, and I as a Croatian language teacher, but in 1994 we left our jobs and opened the first fashion salon in Trogir. Already in 1996, we organized the exhibition Reflections on Fashion, the first of its kind in Croatia, and a year later we started collaborating with the fashion house Uzor—the first collaboration between designers and the fashion industry here. Three years later, we opened the Galić design salon in Split, where the creation of unique wedding and evening dresses began, chosen by thousands of girls from across the region. The happiness we brought to our clients remains our favorite memory. Among the special moments, we highlight the Grand Prix at the European Fashion Competition in Slovenia in 1996 and the shoot with Korina Longin at the Louvre during Paris Fashion Week 1997. We designed outfits for 15 Croatian representatives at world beauty pageants on all continents. We had 23 solo fashion shows and participated 66 times in group fashion shows in Croatia, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic...," Anita recalls.
Throughout their creative work, they sought inspiration in ethnic heritage, and their studio was always ruled by materials, lace, and beads. But their creativity is visible not only in the studio but in every corner of their home. First, they filled their Split apartment with numerous antiques, and a few especially dear items were moved to the island—like a sofa over 150 years old and a massive wooden table in the living room. The blend of antique and modern decor is very close to their hearts.
They paid special attention to restoring these items—Mario carefully reupholstered the sofa with new fabric, while Anita refreshed the old kitchen cabinet with paint matched to the rest of the space. She enjoyed the process so much that she soon painted the chest and the wooden picture frames as well. The walls of their home are adorned with travel photos and paintings they painted themselves, and the space is filled with souvenirs and details brought from their travels.
Since they don‘t like warm sea, they go swimming around seven in the morning. They walk a lot, pick asparagus, and enjoy evenings with neighbors for whom they happily prepare delicious dinners. Both love to be creative in the kitchen, too.
"I love preparing vegetable stews, thick vegetable soups, and salads with fresh vegetables and legumes. I haven‘t eaten meat for 40 years, so Mario handles all the meat dishes, and I assist him in preparation. He cooks excellent meat stews and pašticada. Grilling is also his, he makes the best brodet and black risotto. We have no problem being together in the kitchen and skillfully maneuver around each other, opening cabinets over one another and handing what is needed. Once, with Gala, we made gnocchi because we needed a large quantity quickly: I made the dough and shaped the pillows, Gala rolled them on the grater, and Mario put them into boiling water. Cakes and desserts are my domain. We love real cooked egg creams and classic sponge cakes, as well as shortcrust pastry. I learned to make good Trogir rafioli, which Mario, as a Trogir native, is always proud of and praises me to everyone for," Anita tells us.
On Šolta, they say, everything is slowed down, without stress, so cooking is pure enjoyment. Especially when the children join them. They don‘t know much about fishing, but they learn from their neighbors, experienced fishermen. They are more skilled in creative processes, and recently discovered another great love—painting. "We love to paint in the shade of our terrace. We relax nicely and, with a cold drink, we draw. Each of us creates our own thing, and our techniques and motifs are very different. Here, we live and create with full lungs," concludes Anita Galić. Exclusively for Gloria readers, Anita and Mario Galić also shared their two favorite recipes.
BLACK RISOTTO
Ingredients:
- about 1 kg cuttlefish
- 1 dl olive oil
- 2 to 3 onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- salt, pepper, Vegeta
- ink as needed
- two large spoons chopped fresh parsley
- a glass of white wine
- 2 glasses of rice
- parmesan when serving
Preparation:
Thoroughly clean and wash the cuttlefish, then cut it into pieces. Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil, and when golden, add the finely chopped cuttlefish pieces. Sauté briefly again, then slowly start adding wine. During cooking in wine, season lightly and add water as needed. When the cuttlefish softens, add rice and slowly the ink. Stir constantly and add water over low heat until the rice is cooked. At the end, mix in the finely chopped fresh parsley. Mario‘s secret is that he prefers to cook the cuttlefish in red wine, and during cooking, adds ground sweet red pepper and a bit of prošek.
PARADIŽOT
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- 5 large spoons sugar
- vanilla sugar
- grated peel of unsprayed lemon
- a little grated chocolate
- 20 butter biscuits (about 150g)
- 1 liter milk
Preparation:
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the yolks well with sugar and vanilla sugar. Beat the egg whites with two grains of salt into stiff peaks. Put the milk in a wide pot to boil, reduce the heat and, while it simmers, scoop the egg white foam with a spoon and let it rise with the milk, then turn the "cloud" to the other side and repeat. Place the clouds in a colander. When all are done, gently pour the beaten yolks into the hot milk. Let it boil and become a not-too-thick cream. Then, in a large wide bowl, arrange some biscuits, then the egg white clouds, and pour the hot yellow cream over them. Arrange or stick the rest of the biscuits on the clouds and in the cream. Sprinkle with grated lemon peel and grated chocolate. Chill well before serving.
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